Bandage support



Feb. 21, 1967 J. E. PERKINS, JR 3,304,938

BANDAGE SUPPORT Filed Nov. 19, 1964 John E. Perkins, Jr

INVIJNTOK.

United States Patent 3,304,938 BANDAGE SUPPORT John E. Perkins, Jr., Box 1145, Baton Rouge, La. 70821 Filed Nov. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 412,506 5 Claims. (Cl. 128132) This invention relates, generally categorized, to static appliances such as are functionally designed and structurally adapted to be applied upon a predetermined area of the users body for treatment and protective purposes and has to do, more particularly, with a sterile bandage support capable of efficaciously diminishing the likelihood of infection and the supportive function of which promotes rapid safe healing of wounds, burns, cuts and sores.

It is common knowledge that when a gauze or an equivalent bandage is wrapped around an open wound, a fresh cut or unhealed sore, portions of the bandage may and often do stick and adhere thereto with the result that the tissues (often the moist scab) are painfully irritated, particularly when changing of the bandage is necessary. The result (prolonged healing and possible infection) can be dangerous, unbearably painful and quite diflicult to cope with. It follows that the chief objective of the concept herein under advisement is to provide safe and reliable preventive-type means which, when the bandage is bridged over it, is elevated, spaced from and oriented with the vulnerable area whereby a satisfactory b-andaging result (protective coverage and ventilation) is achieved but without touching and disturbing the potentially contaminable tissues.

Briefly, the concept has to do with a bandage orienting and elevating member which has the desired capability of supporting that portion of the bandage which bridges the pain inflicting wound. In so doing, this significant stretch of the bandage is suspended and is free of contact with the wound with the result that the likelihood of trouble is lessened and overcome before it starts. To the ends desired, the support member is made of prescribed material which lends itself not only to the esesntial bandage lifting and supporting step, it can be manually bent and fabricated on the spot to circumscribe the marginal limits proximal to the wound. In fact, the doctor, nurse or other attendant can cut the same to the length and height required after which it can be applied and fastened in readiness to receive and locate the bandage with the degree of precision and certainty needed.

More specifically, the support member comprises an elongated strip of thermo-plastic material (polypropylene or suitable styrene compounds), said strip being of requisite strength and pliantly flexible so that it can be bent and contoured by hand to comply with the requirements of the situation which presents itself for treatment. Stated otherwise the strip can be cut, bent, shaped and handled with requisite nicety while, at the same time, assuring good ventilation and responsive and early healing, particularly so when a prescribed medicament is used.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention a strip member of an appropriate grade of plastic material is provided and has upper and lower longitudinal edges. The lower or bottom edge is provided with integral longitudinally spaced positioning and holddown tabs. These tabs are arranged at longitudinally spaced points and have bottom surfaces to reside flatwise on the area circumscri'bing the wound. As will be evident these tabs are adapted to be fastened firmly in place by suitably cut pieces of adhesive tape.

Another aspect of the invention has to do with either cutting or bending the plastic. strip to form a frame. This frame encircles the wound and, in addition, the component parts of the frame are provided with a plurality of ventilating holes. With the frame thus mounted the gauze or equivalent bandage can be wrapped around and over the frame with the portions spanning the frame spaced from the injury.

Then, too, it is within the purview of this invention to employ the frame and bandage in such a manner that sterile packing can be placed around the frame and held in place by the overlying bandage in a manner to satisfactorily absorb inert body fluids and to in this manner minimize dangerous reaction to the skin within the vicinity of the enclosed wound.

Furthermore, by employing the construction and arrangement herein shown and described satisfactory air circulation with the aid of proper medication will promote rapid healing of the potentially dangerous area.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing the strip material fashioned by hand into a box-like wound-encircling and bandage-supporting frame;

FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken at approximate right angles to the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing the bandage and also the manner in which absorbent packing can be satisfactorily used;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective showing a given length of the ready-to-use strip material; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective similar to FIGURE 1 and showing how the strip can be bent and stationed in place to serve as a bandage support.

Referring now to the views of the drawing and particularly to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the support member comprises a strip of pliant and bendably formable material, the strip being denoted as an entity by the numeral 6. The strip is of appropriate thickness for strength and is made, generally speaking, of an appropriate thermoplastic material which can be sterilized and in fact can be used over and over. This strip is of indefinite length inasmuch as it is intended to be cut to the desired length. It has a straight upper longitudinal edge 8 and a lower longitudinal edge 10. It is also provided at longitudinally spaced points with ventilating ports 12. The upper edge can be trimmed to reduce the height. The height, ordinarily, is approximately as suggested in FIG. 2'. The lower edge portion is provided with integral outstanding longitudinally spaced rectangular or equivalent lug-like tabs 14 which are reinforced by junctional webs 16. The junctional or connected ends 18 position the lugs or tabs at right angles to the adjacent vertical face of the strip and the top and bottom surfaces of these surfaces are preferably flat so that they can be employed as holddown members in the manner shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. This holding step is accomplished with the use of suitably cut strips of adhesive tape 20 which are fastened adhesively over the tabs and attached to the skin in the manner illustrated.

With reference to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the strip material has been cut to form a box or trough which is denoted at 22. This particular formation comprises a pair of spaced parallel sides or side walls 24 connected by transverse end walls 26. By abutting the end Walls 26 against the suitably cut end portion-s of the side walls the desired box formation is provided and the wound is boxed in in the manner suggested in FIG. 2. Assuming that the support means of FIG. 1 is applied in the manner shown, it will be evident that the bandage 28 can be applied whereby the portion 30 bridges over and covers the open top of the box formation. If the situation is one which requires it it will be evident that absorbent packing 32 can be applied and fitted around the box and the encased wound and held in place by the bandage in the manner illustrated.

The support need not necessarily be cut in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. In fact, it is within the purview of the concept to simply bend the strip material and to apply it in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The bent portion is denoted at 34.

It will be evident from the disclosure and description thus far presented that the invention is of a versatile nature and is accordingly an innovation in this line of endeavor in that it has all of the capabilities required to support the bandage, to provide for satisfactory ventilation, can be readily applied and removed, can be sterilized and will therefore well serve the purposes for which it is intended.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a full and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, the features and advantages and the ordinary manner of use. Accordingly, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in diminishing the likelihood of infection and for promoting rapid but safe healing of wounds, burns, cuts and sores, infection preventing means comprising: a bandage bridging, elevating and orientation member having the capability of supporting a bandage contiguous to but free of contact with the vulnerable area requiring bandaging, said member being manually variable in shape and size and accordingly adapted to marginally and conformingly circumscribe said area, said member comprising an elongated strip of thermo-plastic material which can be cut to assume the length and height required, said material being pliant and manually bendable to assume and maintain conformable shape and contour desired, said strip member having a longitudinal bottom edge provided with integral longitudinally spaced outwardly projecting positioning holddown tabs and said tabs being adapted to be fastened by strips of adhesive tape.

2. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said strip member is provided with a plurality of ventilating holes.

3. A bandage support for positioning about a wound so as to enable a bridging of a bandage thereover, said support comprising outwardly projecting planar strip means defining laterally spaced upstanding side walls for forming an outwardly opening enclosure about a wound whereby free access can be had to the wound without removal of the support, lower edge portions of said strip means being provided with integral, longitudinally spaced laterally projecting tab-like holddown members for positioning said strip means against the skin about a wound.

4. The support of claim 3 wherein said strip means is manually conformable to a desired shape and is provided with a plurality of ventilating holes therethrough.

5. A bandage support member positionable adjacent a wound for the support of a bandage thereover, said member comprising an elongated strip of thermo-plastic material which can be cut to assume the length and height required, said material being pliant and manually bendable to assume and maintain conformable shape and contour desired, said strip member being defined by upper and lower free edges and opposed side faces, said lower edge provided with integral longitudinally spaced outwardly projecting positioning holddown tabs in spaced relation therealong for positioning flatwise against the skin about a wound so as to support said strip perpendicularly outward therefrom and said tabs being adapted to be fastened by strips of adhesive tape.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,270 3/1902 Beringer 128-154 2,443,140 6/1948 Larsen l28-154 2,443,481 6/1948 Sene 128-155 2,520,436 8/1950 Russell 128l32 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,861 8/1946 Great Britain.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN DIMINISHING THE LIKELIHOOD OF INFECTION AND FOR PROMOTING RAPID BUT SAFE HEALING OF WOUNDS, BURNS, CUTS AND SORES, INFECTION JPREVENTING MEANS COMPRISING: A BANDAGE BRIDGING, ELEVATING AND ORIENTATION MEMBER HAVING THE CAPABILITY OF SUPPORTING A BANDAGE CONTIGUOUS TO BUT FREE OF CONTACT WITH THE VULNERABLE AREA REQUIRING BANDAGING, SAID MEMBER BEING MANUALLY VARIABLE IN SHAPE AND SIZE AND ACCORDINGLY ADAPTED TO MARGINALLY AND CONFORMINGLY CIRCUMSCRIBE SAID AREA, SAID MEMBER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STRIP OF THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH CAN BE CUT TO ASSUME THE LENGTH AND HEIGHT REQUIRED, SAID MATERIAL BEING PLIANT AND MANUALLY BENDABLE TO ASSUME AND MAINTAIN CONFORMABLE SHAPE AND CONTOUR DESIRED, SAID STRIP MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BOTTOM EDGE PROVIDED WITH INTEGRAL LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OUTWARDLY PROJECTING POSITIONING HOLDDOWN TABS AND SAID TABS BEING ADAPTED TO BE FASTENED BY STRIPS OF ADHESIVE TAPE. 